Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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CHUCK SPIDER
BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE
Field of the Disclosure
[0002] Embodiments disclosed herein generally relate to methods and
apparatuses to
at least partially grip a tubular member. More specifically, embodiments
disclosed
herein relate to an apparatus that is used to adjustably grip and support
tubular
members of varying size as the tubular members are installed to or removed
from a
downhole well location.
Description of the Related Art
[0003] In oilfield exploration and production operations, various
oilfield tubular
members are used to perform important tasks, including, but not limited to,
drilling
the wellbore and casing a drilled wellbore. For example, a long assembly of
drill
pipes, known in the industry as a drill string, may be used to rotate a drill
bit at a
distal end to create the wellbore. Furthermore, after a wellbore has been
created, a
casing string may be disposed downhole into the wellbore and cemented in place
to
stabilize, reinforce, or isolate (among other functions) portions of the
wellbore. As
such, strings of drill pipe and casing may be connected together, such as end-
to-end
by threaded connections, in which a female "pin" member of a first tubular
member
is configured to threadably engage a corresponding male "box" member of a
second
tubular member. Alternatively, a casing string may be made-up of a series of
male-
male ended casing joints coupled together by female-female couplers. The
process
by which the threaded connections are assembled is called "making-up" a
threaded
connection, and the process by which the connections are disassembled is
referred to
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"breaking-out" the threaded connection. As would be understood by one having
ordinary skill, individual pieces (or "joints") of oilfield tubular members
may come
in a variety of weights, diameters, configurations, and lengths.
[0004] Referring to Figure 1, a perspective view is shown of one embodiment
of a
drilling rig 101 used to run one or more tubular members 111 (e.g., casing,
drill pipe,
etc.) downhole into a wellbore. As shown, the drilling rig 101 includes a
frame
structure known as a "derrick" 102, from which a traveling block 103 (which
may
include a top drive) suspends a lifting apparatus 105 (e.g., an elevator or a
tubular
(e.g., casing) running tool connected to the quill of a top drive) and a
gripping
apparatus 107 (e.g., slip assembly or "spider") at the rig floor may be used
to
manipulate (e.g., raise, lower, rotate, hold, etc.) a tubular member 111. The
traveling
block 103 is a device that is suspended from at or near the top of the derrick
102, in
which the traveling block 103 may move up-and-down (i.e., vertically as
depicted)
to raise and/or lower the tubular member 111. The traveling block 103 may be a
simple "pulley-style" block and may have a hook from which objects below
(e.g.,
lifting apparatus 105 and/or top drive) may be suspended. Drilling rig 101 can
be a
land or offshore rig (e.g., drill ship) without departing from the scope of
the present
disclosure.
[0005] Additionally, the lifting apparatus 105 may be coupled below the
traveling
block 103 (and/or a top drive if present) to selectively grab or release a
tubular
member 111 as the tubular member 111 is to be raised and/or lowered within and
from the derrick 102. As such, the top drive may include one or more guiding
rails
and/or a track disposed adjacent to the top drive, in which the guiding rails
or track
may be used to support and guide the top drive as the top drive is raised
and/or
lowered within the derrick. An example of a top drive is disclosed within U.S.
Patent
No. 4,449,596, filed on August 3, 1982, and entitled "Drilling of Wells with
Top
Drive Unit."
[0006] Typically, a lifting apparatus 105 includes movable gripping members
(e.g.,
slip assemblies) attached thereto and movable between a retracted (e.g.,
disengaged)
position and an engaged position. In the engaged position, the lifting
apparatus 105
supports the tubular member 111 such the tubular member 111 may be lifted
and/or
lowered, and rotated if so equipped, e.g., by using a lifting apparatus that
is a tubular
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(e.g., casing) running tool connected to the quill of the top drive. In the
retracted
position, the lifting apparatus 105 may release the tubular member 111 and
move
away therefrom to allow the tubular member 111 to be engaged with or removed
from
the lifting apparatus 105 and/or the gripping apparatus 107. For example, the
lifting
apparatus 105 may release the tubular member 111 after the tubular member 111
is
threadably connected to a tubular string 115 supported by the gripping
apparatus 107
(e.g., slip assembly or "spider") at the rig floor at the floor of the
drilling rig 101.
[0007] Further, in an embodiment in which the drilling rig 101 includes a
top drive
and a tubular running tool, the tubular member 111 may be supported and
gripped by
the tubular running tool connected to the quill of the top drive. For example,
the
tubular running tool may include one or more gripping members that may move
radially inward and/or radially outward. In such embodiments, these gripping
members of a tubular running tool may move radially outward to grip an
internal
surface of the tubular member 111, such as with an internal gripping device
and/or the
gripping members of the tubular running tool may move radially inward to grip
an
external surface of the tubular member 111, such as with an external gripping
device,
however so equipped.
[0008] As such, the gripping apparatus 107 of the drilling rig 101 may be
used to
support and suspend the tubular string 115, e.g., by gripping, from the
drilling rig 101,
e.g., supported by the rig floor 109 or by a rotary table thereof. The
gripping
apparatus 107 may be disposed within the rig floor 109, such as flush with the
rig
floor 109, or may extend above the rig floor 109, as shown. As such, the
gripping
apparatus 107 may be used to suspend the tubular string 115, e.g., while one
or more
tubular members 111 are connected or disconnected from the tubular string 115.
[0009] The illustrated gripping device 201 includes a bowl 203 with a
plurality of slip
assemblies 205 movably disposed therein. Specifically, the slip assemblies 205
may
be connected to a ring 207, in which the ring 207 may be connected to the bowl
203
through an actuator (e.g., actuator rods) 209. Actuator may be actuated, such
as
electrically actuated and/or fluidly (e.g., hydraulically) actuated, to move
up and/or
down with respect to the bowl 203, in which the slip assemblies 205 connected
to the
ring 207 may correspondingly move up and/or down with respect to the bowl 203.
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[0010] The illustrated slip assemblies 205 are designed to engage and
contact the
inner tapered surface of the bowl 203 when moving with respect to the bowl
203.
Bowl 203 is shown as a continuous surface but may comprise non-continuous
surfaces (e.g., a surface adjacent to the rear of each slip assembly 205).
Thus, as the
slip assemblies 205 move up or down with respect to the bowl 203, the slip
assemblies 205 may travel down along an inner surface of the bowl 203. With
this
movement, an inner surface (e.g., die) of the slip assemblies 205 will grip a
tubular
member 211 disposed within the gripping device 201. The slip assemblies 205
may
have a gripping surface (e.g., teeth) on the inner surface to facilitate the
gripping of
the tubular member 211. After the tubular member 211 is supported by the
gripping
device 201, additional tubular members may be connected or disconnected from
the
tubular member 211.
[0011] As shown with respect to Figures 2A and 2B, the gripping device 201
may be
used to grip tubular members 211 having multiple outer diameters. For example,
as
shown in Figure 2A, the slip assemblies 205 may be positioned within the bowl
203
of the gripping device 201 to grip a tubular member 211A having a first
diameter Dl.
As discussed, the slip assemblies 205 may be positioned using the ring 207
that may
be vertically moveable, e.g., through the actuator rods 209. Figure 2B shows
gripping
device 201, in which the slip assemblies 205 are positioned vertically higher
within
the bowl 203 with respect to the positioning of the slip assemblies 205 shown
in
Figure 2A. As such, this positioning of the slip assemblies 205 in Figure 2B
enables
the gripping device 201 to grip another tubular member 211B, in which the
tubular
member 211B has a second outer diameter D2 larger than the first outer
diameter D1
of the tubular member 211A (for example, where D1 and D2 are on a tubular body
itself and not a connector portion thereof). Thus, gripping device 201 may
grip
tubular members 211 having a large range of outer diameters without the need
of
reconfiguration and/or adding supplemental equipment to the gripping device
201.
For example, in one embodiment, the second outer diameter D2 may be at least
145
percent larger (or smaller) than the first outer diameter Dl.
[0012] From time-to-time, the drillstring must be raised or "tripped" out
of the hole,
such as when changing the drill bit at the end of the string. As the
drillstring is
brought out of the hole, the various tubular members are removed from the
string and
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set aside in or around the drilling rig. However, when doing this, the tubular
members
may have drilling fluids and/or debris deposited thereon, such as oil or water-
based
mud and cuttings from the drilled underground formations.
[0013] For example, when drilling downhole, the cuttings formed from the
borehole
with the drill bit at the bottom of the string may need to be removed from the
wellbore, and the well head may need to be maintained at a predetermined
hydrostatic
pressure. Drilling mud is then pumped down through a bore of the drill pipe
where
the mud exits the drill bit, and is circulated back uphole in the annular
space between
the drill pipe and the borehole. As such, as the string of tubular members is
brought
up and removed from the wellbore, mud, whether oil-based or water-based mud,
may
cling to the outer surface of the tubular members.
[0014] One way to remove drilling mud from the tubular members is to have
a
drilling rig crew member wash down the tubular members with a hose or the like
as
the tubular members emerge from the borehole. However, this may lead to a loss
of
valuable drilling fluid that may otherwise be reused in the drilling process,
or may
further lead to having mud being cast off and onto the rig floor and/or in the
areas of
the pipe handling equipment, presenting both concerns related to the safety of
the
workers and concerns related to the proper maintenance of the equipment in the
rig.
In addition, water used to clean the tubular members may dilute the drilling
fluid in
the wellbore and affect the mud weight.
[0015] Another way to remove mud from the tubular members is to include a
one-
piece wiper with the pipe handling equipment, in which the wiper may be used
to
remove excess mud from tubular members passing through the pipe handling
equipment. However, this may lead to the wiper wearing out more rapidly, as
the
wiper may be engaging and wiping the outer surface of the tubular members when
passing the tubular members both downhole and uphole. Furthermore, these
wipers
may not be readily accessible or removable, and therefore may require a
significant
amount of downtime within the drilling rig to replace the wipers.
[0016] Further, generally a pipe string may be disposed and suspended
within a
borehole from a drilling rig using a pipe handling apparatus, such as a
spider, in
which the pipe string may be lengthened step-wise by threadably joining a
tubular
segment to the proximal end of the pipe string at the rig. The pipe string may
be
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suspended within the drilling rig using a second type of pipe handling
apparatus, such
as an elevator, that is movably supported from a draw works and a derrick
above the
spider. As the load of the pipe string is transferred between the spider and
the
elevator, the spider may be unloaded and then disengaged from the pipe string
by
retraction of the slips within the spider. The lengthened pipe string may then
be
lowered further into the borehole using the draw works controlling the
elevator. The
spider may then again engage and support the pipe string within the borehole
and an
additional tubular segment may be joined to the new proximal end of the pipe
string
to further lengthen the pipe string.
[0017] Lengthening a pipe string generally involves adding one tubular
segment at a
time to an existing pipe string. Similarly, reducing the length of a pipe
string
generally involves a reverse process in which one tubular segment at a time is
removed from the existing pipe string. Accordingly, each tubular member
disposed
downhole and returned back uphole from the well may pass through and be
handled
by one or more pipe handling apparatuses, such as the spider and/or the
elevator.
However, after handling a large number of tubular segments and supporting the
weight of the pipe string, one or more components of the pipe handling
apparatuses
may require maintenance to ensure that the pipe handling apparatuses are
working
properly and will continue to work properly.
[0018] As such, to reduce the wear on a pipe handling apparatus, a pipe
guide may be
disposed adjacent to one or both of the openings of the pipe handling
apparatus to
ensure that the tubular members being received within the pipe handling
apparatus are
in proper alignment and position. While, the pipe guides themselves may be
subject
to wear, such as from hard-banding, misalignments, hang-ups while disposed
tubular
members downhole or pulling them back uphole, etc, it may be easier to inspect
and
replace a pipe guide, as compared to inspecting and replacing the entire pipe
handling
apparatus.
[0019] For example, a pipe guide may be disposed adjacent to the top
opening and/or
the bottom opening of a spider, in which the pipe guides may be replaced as
needed.
For the top pipe guide of the spider, a visual inspection of the pipe guide
may be
enough to determine if the top pipe guide needs replacing. However, it may be
more
complicated to determine if the bottom pipe guide requires replacing, as the
bottom
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pipe guide may be disposed below the rig floor such that visual inspection may
be
difficult, or impossible for that matter. Accordingly, a need may exist to
address one
or more of these concerns.
SUMMARY OF THE CLAIMED SUBJECT MATTER
[0020] One
or more aspects of the present invention are directed to an assembly to
grip a tubular member in a wellbore that includes a main body, a plurality of
jaw
assemblies, and a cover plate to retain the jaw assemblies within the main
body. The
main body includes a chuck ring and at least one rotation assembly. The
plurality of
jaw assemblies are configured to simultaneously engage the tubular member in
the
wellbore as the chuck ring is rotated in a first direction about an axis of
the main body
by the at least one rotation assembly.
[0021]
Further, one or more aspects of the present invention are directed to a method
to grip a tubular member with a gripping apparatus, the method including
positioning
the gripping apparatus substantially concentrically about a wellbore, engaging
the
tubular member through a central bore of the gripping apparatus, activating at
least
one rotation assembly to rotate a chuck ring of the gripping apparatus in a
first
direction, simultaneously displacing a plurality of jaw assemblies radially
toward the
central bore with a helical groove of the chuck ring, and rotating the chuck
ring until
dies of each of the plurality of jaw assemblies engage an outer profile of the
tubular
member.
[0022]
Furthermore, one or more aspects of the present invention are directed to an
assembly to grip a tubular member in a wellbore, the assembly including a main
body
comprising a chuck ring and at least one means for rotating the chuck ring, a
plurality
of extendable means for gripping the tubular member, and a cover plate to
retain the
extendable means for gripping within the main body, in which the plurality of
means
for gripping the tubular are configured to simultaneously engage the tubular
member
as the chuck ring is rotated in a first direction about an axis of the main
body by the
means for rotating.
[0023]
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In one aspect, there is provided an assembly to grip a tubular member in a
wellbore, the assembly comprising:
a main body comprising a chuck ring and at least one rotation assembly;
a plurality of jaw assemblies; and
a cover plate to retain the jaw assemblies within the main body;
wherein the plurality of jaw assemblies are configured to simultaneously
engage the tubular member in the wellbore as the chuck ring is rotated in a
first
direction about an axis of the main body by the at least one rotation
assembly, and
wherein each of the jaw assemblies comprises at least one upset feature to
engage a helical groove of the chuck ring.
In one aspect, there is provided a method to grip a tubular member with a
gripping apparatus, the method comprising:
positioning the gripping apparatus substantially concentrically about a
wellbore;
engaging the tubular member through a central bore of the gripping
apparatus;
activating at least one rotation assembly to rotate a chuck ring of the
gripping apparatus in a first direction;
simultaneously displacing a plurality of jaw assemblies radially toward the
central bore with a helical groove of the chuck ring;
rotating the chuck ring until dies of each of the plurality of jaw assemblies
engage an outer profile of the tubular member.
In one aspect, there is provided an assembly to grip a tubular member in a
wellbore, the assembly comprising:
a main body comprising a chuck ring and at least one means for rotating the
chuck ring;
a plurality of extendable means for gripping the tubular member; and
a cover plate to retain the extendable means for gripping within the main
body;
wherein the plurality of means for gripping the tubular are configured to
simultaneously engage the tubular member as the chuck ring is rotated in a
first
direction about an axis of the main body by the means for rotating; and
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wherein each of the means for gripping the tubular comprises at least one
means for engaging a helical groove of the chuck ring.
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BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[0024] Features of the present disclosure will become more apparent from
the
following description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
[0025] Figure 1 is a schematic view of a drilling rig.
[0026] Figures 2A and 2B show perspective views of a gripping apparatus
disposed
within a drilling rig.
100271 Figure 3 is a perspective view of a gripping apparatus in
accordance with one
or more embodiments of the present disclosure.
[0028] Figures 4A-4F are exploded view drawings detailing the components
of the
gripping apparatus of Figure 3.
[0029] Figure 5 is a top view drawing of the gripping apparatus of Figure
3 shown
with the top cover and retainers removed.
[0030] Figure 6A and 6B are top view drawings of the gripping apparatus of
Figure 3
shown in an open position (6A) and a closed position (6B).
[0031] Figure 7 is a top view drawing of a gripping apparatus in
accordance with one
or more embodiments of the present disclosure in a closed position.
[0032] Figure 8 is a perspective view of a gripping apparatus in
accordance with one
or more embodiments of the present disclosure.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0033] Specific embodiments of the present disclosure will now be
described in detail
with reference to the accompanying Figures. Like elements in the various
figures
may be denoted by like reference numerals for consistency. Further, in the
following
detailed description of embodiments of the present disclosure, numerous
specific
details are set forth in order to provide a more thorough understanding of the
invention. However, it will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art
that the
embodiments disclosed herein may be practiced without these specific details.
In
other instances, well-known features have not been described in detail to
avoid
unnecessarily complicating the description.
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[0034] Furthermore, those having ordinary skill in the art will appreciate
that when
describing connecting a first element to a second element, it is understood
that
connecting may be either directly connecting the first element to the second
element,
or indirectly connecting the first element to the second element. For example,
a first
element may be directly connected to a second element, such as by having the
first
element and the second element in direct contact with each other, or a first
element
may be indirectly connected to a second element, such as by having a third
element,
and/or additional elements, connected between the first and second elements.
[0035] Additionally, directional terms, such as "above," "below," "upper,"
"lower,"
"top," "bottom," etc., are used for convenience in referring to the
accompanying
drawings. In general, "above," "upper," "upward," "top," and similar terms
refer to a
direction toward the earth's surface from below the surface along a borehole,
and
"below," "lower," "downward," "bottom," and similar terms refer to a direction
away
from the surface along the borehole, i.e., into the borehole, but is meant for
illustrative
purposes only, and the terms are not meant to limit the disclosure.
[0036] Referring initially to Figure 3, an improved gripping assembly 300
in
accordance with one or more embodiments disclosed herein is shown. While
gripping
assembly 300 is depicted in Figure 3 as a spider apparatus, those having
ordinary skill
will understand that gripping assembly 300 may be constructed as an elevator
apparatus without significant modification or departing from the claimed
invention.
As disclosed, gripping assembly 300 is constructed as a "chuck spider," in
that
engagement of jaws of gripping assembly 300 into and out of a central bore 302
is
infinitely adjustable from fully retracted to fully engaged, similar to a
chuck of a
machinists lathe or a handheld power drill. In operation, an adjustment or
chuck ring
is rotated by one or more pinion gears such that a plurality of jaws
adjustably
connected thereto may be simultaneously engaged into and out of bore 302 as
the
chuck ring is rotated in opposite directions.
[0037] Referring still to Figure 3, gripping assembly 300 is constructed
as a spider
that may, in selected embodiments, be placed directly upon the rig floor
(e.g., 109 of
Figure 1) or upon a rig's rotary table such that central bore 302 aligns or is
proximate
to the central axis of a wellbore below. Gripping assembly 300 may be
positioned
upon the rig floor and used to secure and/or retain a string of oilfield
tubulars (e.g.,
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drill pipe, casing, coiled tubing, etc.) being installed or retrieved from the
wellbore
below. As shown, gripping assembly 300 may be constructed including a base
ring
304, a main body 306, a plurality of extendable and retractable jaws 308, a
chuck ring
310 (visible in Figures 4-6), one or more rotation assemblies 312, a cover
plate 314,
and a plurality of cover plate retainers 316.
[0038] Referring now to Figures 4A-4F and 5 together, the assembly and
construction
of gripping assembly 300 can be described. In particular, Figure 4A is an
exploded-
view drawing of the entire gripping assembly 300, with Figures 4B-4F being
close-up
representations of each primary component, namely cover plate 314 (Figure 4B),
plurality of jaw assemblies 308 (Figure 4C), chuck ring 310 and rotation
assemblies
312 (Figure 4D), main body 306 (Figure 4E), and base ring 304 (Figure 4F).
Referring again to Figures 4A¨F together, gripping assembly 300 is assembled
by
placing base ring 304 upon a surface and concentrically engaging main body 306
therein such that rotation assembly mounts 320A and 320B (collectively
referred to as
320) of main body 306 are located and positioned within relief cuts 322A and
322B
(collectively 322) of base ring 304. Figure 5 depicts a top view of a
partially
assembled gripping assembly 300 with the cover plate 314 and cover plate
retainers
316 removed.
[0039] With main body 306 secured within base ring 304, chuck ring 310 may
be
installed to a circumferentially profiled groove 324 within main body 306. As
shown,
a plurality of spherical bearings 326 are positioned within groove 324 to
allow chuck
ring to freely rotate with respect to main body 306 upon bearings 326.
However, as
would be understood by those having ordinary skill, various other forms of
bearing
assemblies, including tapered and straight roller bearings, ball bearings,
needle
bearings, thrust bearings, and friction journals may be used in place of or in
combination with spherical bearings 326. As shown (particularly in Figure 4D),
chuck ring 310 is shown as a generally ring-shaped body that includes gear
teeth 328
on its outer periphery and a helical groove 330 upon its top surface.
[0040] With chuck ring 310 positioned within groove 324 of main body 306,
one or
more rotation assemblies 312A and 312B (312, collectively) are installed to
mounts
320A and 320B of main body 306. As shown, rotation assemblies 312 each include
a
rotation motor 332, a main body 334, and a pinion gear 336 having outer teeth
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corresponding to teeth 328 of chuck ring 310. Rotation motor 332 is depicted
as an
electric motor, but it should be understood that any form of drive mechanism
including, but not limited to, hydraulic motors, pneumatic motors, and the
like may be
used as well. Additionally, while gripping assembly 300 is shown having two
rotation assemblies, 312A and 312B, it should be understood that the number
and type
of rotation assemblies used to rotate chuck ring 310 with respect to main body
306
may change without departing from the scope of the claimed subject matter.
[0041] Referring again to Figures 4A-4F and 5 together, the plurality of
jaw
assemblies 308A-308H (collectively, 308) may be installed atop the chuck ring
and
into cutouts 340 of main body 306. While gripping assembly 300 is shown as
having
eight jaw assemblies labeled 308A-308H, it should be understood that gripping
assembly 300 may comprise fewer (e.g., 3-7) or more (e.g., 9-16) jaw
assemblies 308
depending on the diameter, weight, and configuration of tubular member to be
retained within bore 302. As shown, each jaw assembly 308 comprises a jaw body
342, a carrier 344, and a die 346 comprising a plurality of hardened gripping
teeth
configured to "bite" into and retain an outer profile of a tubular within bore
302. As
shown, carrier 344 and die 346 are constructed such that they may be easily
replaces
should different configurations be preferred or in the event they become worn
or
broken. As will be discussed further below, in one or more embodiments, a slip
(e.g.,
the jaw assembly 308) may include a jaw body 342 and a carrier 344, and the
carrier
344 may be configured to receive the die 346, in which the die 346 forms a
textured
surface of the slip. Further, in one or more embodiments, the carrier 344 and
the die
346 may be integrally formed together. Further, as will be discussed further
below, in
one or more embodiments, the jaw body 342 and the carrier 344 may be
integrally
formed together forming a solid slip design.
[0042] Additionally, each jaw assembly 308 is configured to slide into and
out of
cutouts 340 so that dies 346 may engage and disengage tubulars positioned
within
bore 302 as chuck ring 310 is rotated in the clockwise and counter-clockwise
directions. To facilitate this engagement and disengagement, each jaw assembly
308
comprises an upset feature (not shown) adjacent to and configured to engage
the
helical groove 330 of chuck ring 301 so that radial movement (and therefore
biting
force) of dies 346 into and out of engagement with a tubular contained within
bore
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302 may be accomplished as chuck ring 310 is rotated in opposite directions.
While
chuck ring 310 and jaw assemblies 308 are shown constructed such that
clockwise
rotation of chuck ring 310 extends jaw assemblies 308 further into bore 302
and
counter-clockwise rotation extends jaw assemblies 308 from bore 302, it should
be
understood that and relation of rotation between chuck ring 301 and jaw
assemblies
308 may be used. Regardless of mode of operation, jaw assemblies 308 are
configured to drive into and out of bore 302 of gripping assembly 300
simultaneously,
and with infinitely variable positioning (and force application) between their
maximum retracted and maximum engaged states.
[0043] With jaw assemblies 308 installed to their respective cutouts 340
of main body
306, they may be maintained in position within cutouts 340 by cover plate 314
and
plurality of cover plate retainers 316. Referring again to Figures 4A-4F and 5
together, cover plate 314 may be placed atop gripping assembly 300 such that a
bottom surface 348 of cover plate 314 sits atop the plurality of jaw
assemblies 308,
thereby preventing them from leaving cutouts 340 of main body 306 from above.
As
shown, a plurality of six cover plate retainers 316A-316F (collectively 316)
radially
and simultaneously engage a plurality of slots 350A-350F (collectively, 350)
in main
body 306 and a plurality of slots 352A-352F (collectively, 352) in cover plate
314.
While six cover plate retainers 316 are shown, it should be understood that
fewer or
more than six cover retainers may be used. With cover place 314 in position,
each
cover plate retainer (e.g., 316A) may be slid into place (radially toward bore
302) so
that slots (e.g., 350A and 352A) are simultaneously engaged, preventing cover
plate
314 from being displaced or removed from its position within main body 306 and
atop
chuck ring 310. A bolt 354 or other fastener mechanism may be used to prevent
retainers 316 from disengaging slots 350 and 352 undesirably.
[0044] Additionally, while the system of using cover plate 314 and cover
plate
retainers 316 in conjunction with slots 350 of main body 306 and slots 352 of
cover
plate 314 are depicted as useful at retaining jaw assemblies 308 within main
body
306, the simplified mechanism of using retainers 316 and slots 350 and 352
advantageously has the added benefit of allowing rapid access to the inner
workings
of gripping assembly 300 with minimal effort or tooling. For example, by
quickly
and easily removing cover plate 314 and retainers 316, jaw assemblies 308 may
be
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replaced with a set having different a different tubular size engagement
range, a set
having different configuration of teeth for dies 346, or may be replaced with
a
renewed or repaired set of jaw assemblies 308. For example, a particular set
of jaw
assemblies may comprise dies 346 optimized for a particular type and
configuration
of casing or drill pipe, or for a particular range of tubular diameters.
Having the
ability to quickly and relatively easily replace jaw assemblies 308 or dies
346 would
be highly advantageous in environments where downtimes are to be minimized at
all
opportunities.
[0045] Additionally still, jaw assemblies 308 may be constructed having
more than
one upset feature to engage the helical groove 330 of chuck ring 310 so that a
single
set of jaw assemblies 308 may be used to grip more than one range of tubular
within
central bore 302. For example, in one embodiment, a plurality of jaw
assemblies 308
may be sized and configured to grip drill pipe between 10-15cm (4-6 inches) in
diameter, whereas another set of jaw assemblies 308 may be sized to grip drill
pipe
between 15-30cm (6-12 inches) in diameter. In such a circumstance, a plurality
of
jaw assemblies 308 may be constructed such that a first upset feature may
engage
chuck ring 310 such that tubulars sized between 10-15cm may be gripped, while
a
second upset feature (i.e., one that is radially spaced radially from central
bore 302
apart from the first upset feature) engages chuck ring 310 such that larger
tubulars
may be gripped. Further, in one or more embodiments, the gripping assembly 300
may grip drill pipe that is up to 45-55cm (20 inches) in diameter or larger.
As such,
an operator may adjust the gripping range of the gripping assembly 300 by
removing
cover plate 314 and retainers 316, adjusting jaw assemblies from one upset
feature to
another, and replacing the cover plate 314 and retainers 316. Therefore, a
single
gripping assembly 300 may accommodate multiple ranges of tubulars in bore 302
without the need to keep a separate set of jaw assemblies for each size range.
However, it should be understood that in order to accommodate the largest
variety of
tubular sizes, multiple sets of jaw assemblies 308 (i.e., each having one or
more sets
of upset features) may still be used.
[0046] Referring now to Figures 6A and 6B, the operation of gripping
assembly 300
may be described. Figures 6A and 6B show gripping assembly 300 fully assembled
in a retracted (6A) and an engaged (6B) position but, for the purpose of
clarity, cover
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plate 314 is shown translucent so that other components may be viewed. To move
jaw assemblies 308 from their retracted position to their engaged position,
rotation
assemblies 312 are energized such that their respective pinion gears 336 are
rotated,
imparting a rotary drive force to chuck ring 310 through corresponding teeth
338 and
328. As chuck ring 310 is rotated, the helical groove 330 of chuck ring
rotates in a
spiral fashion, thereby applying a radial displacement simultaneously to each
of the
plurality of jaw assemblies 308 through the upset portion. Because each of the
plurality of jaws engages (or disengages) the central bore 302 at a constant
rate for a
particular rotation of chuck ring 310, any tubular contained therein will be
substantially centered within bore 302 and within gripping assembly 300. With
tubular substantially centered within bore 302 of gripping apparatus 300 and
with jaw
assemblies 308 fully engaged with tubular, chuck ring 310 may be rotated a
selected
amount further to "bite" or securely retain the tubular contained thereby.
Once so
engaged, rotation assemblies 312 may be locked (electrically or otherwise) in
place so
that reverse rotation of the chuck ring 310 (and therefore release of the
tubular) may
be prevented. When it is desired to release the tubular, rotation assemblies
312 may
be unlocked or otherwise backed-off, thereby allowing rotation of chuck ring
310 and
retraction of jaw assemblies 308 radially away from bore 302 and any tubular
retained
therein.
100471 Referring to Figure 7, a top view of a gripping assembly 300 in
accordance
with embodiments disclosed herein is shown. In one or more embodiments, a slip
(e.g., the jaw assembly 308) may include a jaw body 342 and a carrier 344, and
the
carrier 344 may be configured to receive the die 346. In one or more
embodiments,
the jaw body 342 and the carrier 344 may be integrally formed together. As
shown,
the jaw body 342 and the carrier 344 may be integrally formed together such
that the
jaw body 342 and the carrier 344 are a solid piece and make up a solid slip
design.
Furthermore, in one or more embodiments, each of the jaw body 342, the carrier
344,
and the die 346 may all be integrally formed together and may make up a solid
slip
design. However, in one or more embodiments, a slip may not necessarily
include the
die 346. In one or more embodiments, a slip may be configured to receive the
die
346, in which the die 346 forms a textured surface of the slip. For example,
in one or
more embodiments, the carrier 344 and the slip holding the die 346 may be
integrally
formed together and may make up a solid slip design, and the dies 346 may be
inserts
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that may be removable from the solid slip design. In one or more embodiments,
the
slips may be configured to receive the dies 346, and the dies 346 may form a
textured
surface of the slips.
100481 Further, in one or more embodiments, one or more stops 356 may be
formed
or disposed in the slips to limit the stroke of the slip. For example, in one
or more
embodiments, one or more sets of slots (e.g., 357A, 357B, and 357C) may be
formed
in a portion of each slip (e.g., in a portion of each jaw assembly 308), in
which each
of the slots are configured to receive one or more of the stops 356. For
example, as
shown, the stops 356 are disposed within a first set of slots 357A. In one or
more
embodiments, the stops 356 may allow a single set of slips to handle tubular
pipe of
various diameters disposed in the main body of the assembly without the need
for
additional components added to the assembly. As shown, the engagement between
the stops 356 and the first set of slots 357A may limit the stroke length of
the slips,
and limiting the stroke length of the slips may determine the diameter of
tubular pipe
that may be accommodated by the slips. For example, in one or more
embodiments,
the stops may allow the slips (e.g., the jaw assemblies 308) to be able to
reach from
18 inches in diameter to 6 5/8 inches in diameter without the need for
additional
components to the assembly. In one or more embodiments, the stops 356 may be
engaged with a second set of slips 357B. Alternatively, in one or more
embodiments,
the stops 356 may be engaged with a third set of slips 357C. In one or more
embodiments, more sets of slots configured to engage the stops 356 may be
formed in
a portion of each slip. However, in one or more embodiments, the stops 356 may
be
removed from the assembly, which may allow the slips to travel through the
entire
stroke.
[0049] Referring now to Figure 8, a gripping assembly 300 in accordance
with one or
more embodiments disclosed herein is shown. In one or more embodiments,
gripping
assembly 300 is constructed as a spider that may, in selected embodiments, be
placed
directly upon the rig floor (e.g., 109 of Figure 1) or upon a rig's rotary
table such that
central bore 302 aligns or is proximate to the central axis of a wellbore
below.
Gripping assembly 300 may be positioned upon the rig floor and used to secure
and/or
retain a string of oilfield tubulars (e.g., drill pipe, casing, coiled tubing,
etc.) being
installed or retrieved from the wellbore below. As shown, gripping assembly
300
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may be constructed including a base ring 304, a main body 306, a plurality of
extendable and retractable jaws 308 (e.g., 308A-308G), a chuck ring 310
(visible in
Figures 4-6), one or more rotation assemblies 312 (e.g., 312A and 312B), a
cover
plate 314, a plurality of cover plate retainers 316, and a pipe guide 345.
100501 While the disclosure has been presented with respect to a limited
number of
embodiments, those skilled in the art, having benefit of this disclosure, will
appreciate
that other embodiments may be devised which do not depart from the scope of
the
present disclosure. Accordingly, the scope of the invention should be limited
only by
the attached claims.
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